Not so fast on the Nicads. They are better than you might think. They are tough.
I understand that all low resistance batteries such as rechargeables, have power loss and therefore a poor shelf life. Nicads I am told...lose 10% per month and NIMH batteries lose a whopping 30% per month.
That is why it is risky to buy old NIMH batteries or nicads over a year old and then turbocharge them, although I have been lucky so far. I was told by reputable retailers that companies expect batteries to sell in 6 months so the batteries don't drop low enough to forget their respective polarity.
So, for old batteries warm gently and slow cook for 12 hours, like a frozen potroast.
I learned that shelf life figure AFTER I bought my NIMH (as in National Institute of Mental Health) batteries so I get to nurse my tempermental battery pack along all the rest of my life. So if I get an 8AXT I'll have two feeding schedules to observe.
Not that I'm sorry I bought the NIMH's. But ailing minds...
I also learned something else that is troubling about NIMH batteries. NIMH batteries are much more heat sensitive than Nicads and really shouldn't be charged rapidly UNLESS they have a thermistor (to warn of heating, oh best beloved).
So, would any of Surefire's chargers work for NIMH batteries, given what I have been LED to believe?
Unless Brock corrects me...there MUST be a three wire hookup somehow. That is why MR. Nightrider, the bicycle biggy, had to say he was sorry (in chinese) to a bunch of angry bikers who used their plug-and-forget chargers as slow-cookers all the hot summer.
There is, to the best of my knowledge...only ONE distributor of high performance headlight rechargeables (Light and Motion) who uses a thermistor. I believe the rest use timers, though Mr. Nightrider might have seen the light and reformed.
The tool people have the same problem. Some do and some do not use thermistors. Expect to lose half your lifetime if you do not...so I have been told my the authorities at Light and...
StJoe